Piracy & Ship Attacks - Nov. 30, 2010

U.S. Navy Responds to Attack

Crew onboard the MV 26 AGUSTOS reported being under attack, Saturday November 28, while sailing through the Horn of Africa. The crew locked themselves in the ships engine room during the attack where pirates couldn’t get tot hem.

Nearby USS Shoup, part of the multinational task force, was alerted of the attack. Pirates, unable to get to the crew or the engine, fled before the warship arrived. A team from the USS Shoup boarded the vessel to let the crew know they were safe.

The crew was unharmed and had control of the ship once again.

The 26 Agustos was en route from Romania to Bangladesh when she was attacked near Soctra Island between Somali and Yemen. The ship was able to continue its intended journey.

Pirates Hijack MV ALBEDO in the Somali Basin

In the early hours of 26 November, the MV ALBEDO (pictured) was pirated approximately 900 nautical miles East of Mogadishu (Somalia).

The MV ALBEDO is Malaysian flagged and owned, with a crew of 23 (Pakistani, Bangladeshi, Sri Lankan and Iranian). The vessel was carrying containers and was bound for Mombasa from Jebel Ali in the United Arab Emirates (UAE).

Including the MV ALBEDO, pirates are currently holding 22 vessels with 521 hostages.

Seven Suspected Pirates Disrupted Thanks to EU NAVFOR Naval and Air Coordination

On 24 November, a joint operation between two EU NAVFOR aircraft and the EU NAVFOR warship FS SOMME enabled the disruption of seven suspected pirates.

The joint air mission, led on 24 November by the EU NAVFOR French aircraft “E-3F SDCA” and the EU NAVFOR Luxembourg aircraft “Merlin Fairchild SW3”, led to the location of a Pirate Action Group (PAG) approximately 280 nautical miles North-East of Mogadishu.

The Luxembourg aircraft, after a fly pass over the PAG, confirmed that this was a suspect mother ship operating with an attack skiff.

The French warship FS SOMME, within a few days of joining the EU NAVFOR Operation, was patrolling the area and moved to intercept the two suspect craft. When approached by FS SOMME, the pirate mother-ship increased speed. However, FS SOMME fired warning shots and was able to successfully intercept the whaler, with 7 suspected pirates onboard. The attack skiff fled the scene, with two suspected pirates onboard.

As there was insufficient evidence to pursue a prosecution, the piracy paraphernalia were confiscated, the whaler destroyed, and the seven suspected pirates were returned to Somalia. This disruption has hampered pirate action and is assessed to have prevented attacks on merchant and other vulnerable vessels.

16 Suspected Pirates Apprehended as EU NAVFOR and Seychelles Coast Guard Join Forces

The Seychelles Coast Guard apprehended a total of 16 suspected pirates the last four days after being cued each time by two EU NAVFOR aircraft.

On 18 November, the Seychelles Coast Guard successfully intercepted one whaler and one skiff, with five suspected pirates onboard.

This first operation took place after the EU NAVFOR French E-3F SDCA aircraft was launched to search for a Pirate Action Group (PAG) that was suspected of carrying out two unsuccessful attacks on fishing vessels the previous day. When it arrived in the area, the aircraft spotted three suspicious radar contacts, which were then investigated by the EU NAVFOR Luxembourg Maritime Patrol and Reconnaissance Aircraft (MPRA). It confirmed that it had found a PAG, 300 nautical miles South West of Port Victoria (Seychelles), comprising a whaler and two skiffs. The Seychelles Coast Guard, guided to the PAG’s position by the EU NAVFOR MPRA, intercepted the whaler and one skiff, with a total of five suspected pirates onboard. The other skiff fled the scene.

On 20 November, a second combined operation between EU NAVFOR and the Seychelles Coast Guard led to the interception of one PAG, made up of a whaler, one pirated fishing vessel and two skiffs, carrying a total of eleven suspected pirates and seven hostages onboard.

This second operation was possible after the EU NAVFOR French E-3F SDCA aircraft, and the EU NAVFOR Luxembourg MPRA, located a PAG, approximately 250 nautical miles North West from Port Victoria, also suspected of carrying out an unsuccessful attack on a Spanish fishing vessel the previous day. The Seychelles Coast Guards, guided by EU NAVFOR units, headed toward the PAG and found a fishing vessel towing a whaler and two skiffs. A successful boarding operation from the Seychelles Coast Guard led to the release of the seven Seychellois fishermen held hostage and the arrest of the eleven suspected pirates.
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Source: EU NAVFOR Somalia – Operation ATALANTA’s main tasks are to escort merchant vessels carrying humanitarian aid of the World Food Program (WFP) and vessels of African Union Mission in Somalia (AMISOM). EU NAVFOR also protects vulnerable vessels in the Gulf of Aden and Indian Ocean, deters and disrupts piracy. In addition, EU NAVFOR monitors fishing activity off the coast of Somalia.